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Hello lovelies! Last week we gave a shout out to one of our favorite sustainable fashion brands, Seamly.co! We also shared our favorite piece from their line, the revamped Versalette.

Midi Dress by Seamly.co – $40

In case you don’t remember, or didn’t see last week’s post, the Versalette is basically a wardrobe Swiss army knife—a piece that can be worn in 30 different ways. Seamly.co launched the Versalette Challenge this past Wednesday, where fans rock their Versalette in new ways for a week and share photos via Instagram. Fun right? It gets better though… one lucky winner will be chosen based on creativity/personal style and will snag a bag of Seamly.co pieces (including this adorable Midi dress) and some one of a kind jewelry by Native Clutter. And well one of us (Jackie) at Y&L decided to take the challenge, and we thought it would be fun to share her looks so far!

Versalette Challenge Day 1

For day 1 Jackie rocked the original Versalette in charcoal as a skirt with an owl-print tee from Urban Outfitters, chambray button down from Urban Outfitters, and leopard print wedges from Toms. The head band is fair trade.

Versalette Challenge Day 2

By day 2 of the challenge her new Versalette arrived so Jackie decided to try it out, this time as a tunic top belted with a tribal print belt from Anthropologie. Denim from Levis, sandals from Urban Outfitters, and hat from Nordstroms.

What other way’s should Jackie rock the Versalette for the challenge? Strapless dress? Off shoulder top? Bubble skirt? Once the challenge is complete we will share a complete lookbook!

Hello there lovelies! We hope you had a beautiful week and a fun weekend ahead. A while back we featured one of our favorite pieces of versatile and sustainable fashion… the Versalette! It was the brain child of Kristin and Shannon who launched the Versalette and Revolution Apparel through an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign. Like everything in life, good things come to an end and Kristin and Shannon decided to pursue different paths in the sustainable fashion world. We were sad to see the Versalette go, but luckily we didn’t have to wait long for it to reappear! Kristin has helped launch a new sustainable fashion company that uses deadstock fabric to design and make create cool, sexy, and comfy pieces here in the U.S.A..

The revamped Versalette in black – $110 at Seamly.co

Sounds awesome right, that’s because it is. We love the revamped Versalette, which is currently available in black (more colors to come) and can be worn in 30 different ways. Yup, you heard us, 30 ways! If you are looking for a great piece that you could literally wear everyday (and not look the same) we suggest giving the Versalette a try… And if you are feeling really bold why not take part in their Versalette Challenge from July 24 – August 4.

Image from Seamly.co

Wear the Versalette each day and submit a picture of how you rocked it on Instagram (#versalette). A panel of judges will pick a winner, who will receive a package full of Seamly.co fashion and handmade jewelry by Native Clutter.

Hello lovelies! We hope you had a beautiful Independence Day last week, we know we did here in San Jose. Today we wanted to share one of our new favorite products for achieving a signature summer look: gilded eyes!

You can achieve this look with Erzulie’s Mineral Cream Eye Shadow in Gilda. It’s a creamy, golden eye shadow full of amazing ingredients like argan oil! Apply with your finger tip to your upper lids, and use a brush along your lower lashes. You can set the look further by dusting over a golden powder. One of our favorite things about this shadow is it’s multitasking ability: use this cream as a base, shadow, highlighter, or if you are feeling bold a lip color! It’s priced fantastically at $5 a pot, or you can score two shadows for $9 at Rhonda’s Etsy Shop.

Hey there Y&L readers 🙂 Happy Friday! Today we wanted to share some summer beauty recipes featuring a warm weather ingredient—avocados! Avocadoes are great for moisturizing and soothing skin and hair that’s been dried out from a day at the beach or pool! So this weekend treat yourself to one of these at-home spa remedies.

Avocado Face Mask

Ingredients:

1/2 a very ripe avocado

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

Peel the avocado and mash it well.

Add the honey and coconut oil and stir to combine.

Apply to a clean dry face, avoiding your eyes, and leave on for about 10-15 minutes.

After your mask had time to work it’s magic, take a warm wet wash cloth and wipe your face clean.

Avocado Hair Mask Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp honey

1/2 an avocado

Directions:

Whisk together the egg yolk, extra-virgin olive oil, and honey together in a small bowl.

Mash in 1/2 of an avocado with a fork.

While you’re in the shower, apply the paste first to the ends of your hair and then all over your hair.

Let it soak into your strands for 15 to 20 minutes, rinse it out, shampoo, and then rinse

Hello there lovelies! Last week we shared some top picks for primer, and today we wanted to share a review of one of our favorite and budget friendly loose powders—Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Natural Origin Loose Powder! Yes we know it’s been out for a long time, but it’s always good to bring back the oldies (but goodies). Loose powder is clutch for setting your makeup and keeping oil at bay during the summer. But many powders contain nasty ingredients, so choose wisely. We love this powder for it’s natural ingredients, affordability, coverage, and mattifying look. The translucent light is perfect for fair skin tones, giving your skin a matte look while hiding redness and imperfections. It does a decent job of keeping oil at bay, but depending on your skin’s oil levels you probably will need an afternoon touch up. You get a ton of product for just $10.50 on Amazon, or $13.95 in most stores. This one bottle will last you all year—no joke. The brush leaves something to be desired. It’s pretty coarse, but that is a common complaint amongst most reviewers. The little mirror is more useful for checking your eye makeup or covering a pimple versus applying your foundation. If you want a safe (EWG rating of only 2) and effective loose powder pick this stuff up (use your own brush) and you will not be disappointed! Have you tried this loose powder? What did you think?

Summer weather and long days call for long lasting makeup. One of the keys to keeping oil and shine at bay and your makeup in place is using a primer underneath your foundation. Today we wanted to share some of our top picks for natural makeup primers.

Earth Angels Minerals Original Butter Cream Skin Balancer – This mineral powder is vegan and gluten free, and helps to correct imperfections, redness, and dark circles. It works great to balance out skin or as a shadow primer. Available on Etsy from Earth Angel Minerals in a 20g sifter jar for $17.99.

Vegan Foundation Primer – We love The All Natural Face, and this primer is no exception. Using natural and safe ingredients it smooths and balances your skin out for the perfect application every time! Available fro $11.99 on Etsy.

Hello there lovelies! We hope you enjoyed our summertime eye makeup tips last week 🙂 And as promised, we wanted to share some tips for keeping your foundation, blush, bronzer, and concealer in place this summer even in the bright sun and warm temperatures! Similar to eye makeup the biggest issues are melting & creasing of your makeup.

Foundation Tips:

Always start with a primer. Just like you prime your eyelids, you need to prime your face if you want to ensure that your makeup stays crease free and in place all day. We are big fans of Korres Face Primer, available for $28 from Sephora. This stuff is free of silicone, parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, mineral oil, synthetic dyes & fragrances, and other unpleasant ingredients! It smells amazing and a little bit goes a long way, so even with a heftier price tag, it’s a good investment.

Ditch heavy creamy foundations and opt for tinted moisturizers or BB creams instead.Thick liquid foundation is way more likely to melt and crease. So take the opportunity to lighten up your face makeup in the summer. Use your favorite tinted moisturizer or BB Cream. We’ve mentioned it before, but we LOVE Jane Iredale’s Glow Time BB Cream available for $48 online or in stores at Pharmaca. With a higher price tag, you can take comfort knowing this BB Cream will last you all year!

Set your BB cream or tinted moisturizer with a lightly tinted or translucent loose powder.To reduce shine and keep your makeup in place take a fluffy brush and lightly dust a translucent or lightly tinted mineral powder on your face. We love Everyday Mineral’s Finishing Dust on sale right now for $6.99, normally $12.99.

Concealer Tips:

Choose a densely pigmented concealer that is creamy (not liquidy) to hide circles and lines.The sun can melt and shine right through lightly pigmented concealers, revealing dark circles, blemishes, and other things you’d rather hide. Again we love the affordable and natural Erzulie Mineral Erase Cream in Light/Medium Light (just $8.50/pot). Just apply the concealer with your ring finger to hide under eye circles and brush to conceal blemishes!

Blush/Bronzer Tips:

Ditch the powder and go with a creamy blush during the warmer months.Sweat and powder blush don’t mix well. We love The All Natural Face’s Vegan Cream Blush in Peachy Rose, available for $4 online. Our favorite splurge cream blush is Jane Iredale In Touch Cream Blush available for $28 online and in stores at Pharmaca. So apply a cream blush to the apples of your cheek and blend with your finger tips or a brush.

Apply in the right places.Bronzer is fantastic during the summer. Who doesn’t want to look like a glowing goddess? Just be sure to keep it classy and natural looking by applying in the right places. Apply bronzer just to the high points of your face, where the sun naturally hits you: on your forehead, cheekbones, chin, and nose. If you want a creamy bronzer option, we love The All Natural Face’s Vegan Cream Lip/Cheek Highlighter available for $5.75 online.

Hello there ladies! Are you as excited for summer as we are at Y&L? What’s not to love about warm weather, backyard BBQ’s, and relaxing days at the pool? Well nothing except for makeup that melts, smears, and just doesn’t stay put… Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered with a few tricks that will keep your eye makeup in place even in the hot summer sun! Oh and be sure to tune in next week when we share some tips for keeping your concealer and foundation set!

So some of the major makeup issues during the summer include: melting eye makeup, greasy lids, and concealer that collects in your creases.

Apply eye shadow or finishing powder.After you apply a primer, if you have particularly greasy lids or it’s a humid day add some double insurance and apply a shadow or finishing powder, this helps to set the product. You can go with a nude option, or your favorite color. We love the Pure and Natural Tinted Finishing Veil by Willow Tree Minerals on Etsy (just $13.95)

For Under Eye Concealer That Stays Put:

Make sure you moisturize first and let it dry.To keep your concealer from looking cakey you always want to apply moisturizer to your eyes, and give it time to dry.

Apply a generous amount of creamy under eye concealer.Using a concealer brush and a cream concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your foundation apply the concealer under your eyes. Start at the inner corner of your eye up towards where the inner brow starts. Continue by making a half moon shape following the lower lash line all the way to the outer corner of the eye. Blend the concealer using your finger tips. We love Erzulie Mineral Erase Cream in Light/Medium Light (just $8.50/pot).

Set the concealer with a mineral powder concealer.To keep the concealer in place it’s best to set it with a generous amount of concealing mineral powder. Our favorite is Pure and Natural Mineral Concealer in Beauty Sleep from Willow Tree Minerals ($10/pot). This product has just the right amount of light reflecting minerals to hide under eye circles! Press the powder into the concealer starting at the inner corner and brush across the under eye area, sweeping off any extra.

For Eye Liner That Doesn’t Melt:

Start with a pencil.After you’ve primed and applied shadow it’s time to apply liner. When you want eyeliner that lasts you need to apply a few layers of product. It’s best to start with a pencil along your upper lash line (and bottom lashes too if you wear it there). We love Jane Iredale’s Eye Pencil in Black ($11 per stick). Just make sure you let the pencil set for a little bit.

Apply a liquid liner next.After you’ve applied the pencil, trace your line with a liquid liner and allow it to dry. We love ZuZu Luxe’s Liquid Liner in Raven ($14 a bottle).

Set your liner with a shadow in the same shade.Using an eyeliner brush dip it into a shadow or powder eyeliner the same shade as your liquid or pencil. Lightly dab it onto your eyeliner line. DO NOT DRAG IT ALONG THE LINE. Just dab and press, moving along your lashes. This helps to set the product. We love Pure and Natural Mineral Eye Liner in Charcoal Crush by Willow Tree Minerals on Etsy (just $5.95).

What tips and tricks do you have for keeping your eye makeup in place during the summer months?

Hello there lovelies! Are you ready for some backyard barbecuing this weekend? We are! But first we wanted to share a great beauty find with you! Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara is the perfect lash enhancer for any eco-friendly girl! It’s made from all natural ingredients, is never tested on animals, and would only be rated a 1 or 2 on the Environmental Working Group’s Skindeep Cosmetic Database!

We love this mascara because it contains 100% natural fibers to help you achieve a subtle false lash effect and leave all the flaky stuff behind. Now be warned this isn’t like an intense false lash look, but more of a natural false lash look (see the box). It even comes packaged in a cute pink leaf-shaped tube with a recyclable brush! Physician’s Formula promises 24 hour wear, and we would agree that it lasts mostly the whole day, which is perfect for a girl on the go. We didn’t have any issues with smudging or smearing, but you need to give it some extra time to dry. And with most mascaras, if you want a truly dramatic effect it’s best to curl your lashes and apply several coats (probably two). Some users really weren’t huge fans of this mascara, but we would give it a solid 4/5 stars.

You can easily pick up this Fake Out Mascara at most drugstores (CVS, Walgreens, Riteaid), at Target, Walmart, or online for under $10! We really want to try out Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara next. Have you tried either? What did you think?

It’s that time of year when you are dying to get a tan and hit the beach. But don’t even think about going out without sunscreen. I don’t know if you remember back to earlier this year but a few of our stylists sat down for an interview… and both of them stressed how important it is to wear sunscreen. Yes you want glowing skin… but no, we don’t think you want dry wrinkly skin or skin cancer for that matter! You can still get a tan while wearing protection, you’ll just save your face years of aging 🙂

When picking a sunscreen it’s important to read the ingredients and try to choose something safer and more natural. If you are avoiding skin cancer why would you want to expose yourself to other chemicals that can hurt you … seems to defeat the purpose to us! So we’ve got a few of our favorite natural and safe sun protection for your face and body!

Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Facial Sunscreen SPF 20 – This is a great sunscreen for your face! It’s hypoallergenic, fragrance free, and won’t clog your pores! It has a nice subtle vanilla smell to it too! Normally priced around $10.99/tube, you can snag two tubes for $15.75 on Amazon (yay Amazon!). When you are looking for a facial sunscreen always get at least SPF 15, and you won’t really need more than SPF 30.